Should It Be Illegal for Employers to Email You Outside of Work Hours?

Here’s an interesting reinforcement for work-life balance. France has instituted a “right to disconnect” law which came into effect the first of 2017. This new French law mandates companies with more than 50 employees specify strict guidelines as to the hours when staff can and cannot send or answer emails. The new legal right came in response to the belief that employees were not properly compensated for pervasive overtime from emailing outside of work hours.

Proponents of this “right to disconnect” cheer that employees can now foster strong relationships outside of work, engage in more self-care, and enrich their lives with extracurriculars of their choosing. There is a correlation between checking and responding to after-hour work emails with increased stress levels, expedited burn-out rate, sleep disturbances and relationship problems.

Is this law is a win for work-life balance and mental health? Oui-oui or Non? (insert French accent)